Second Bundesliga club FC Kaiserslautern "has parted ways with head coach" FRANCO FODA. The club "started with three wins and two losses into the '13-14 season." The team's most recent loss to VfR Aalen "seems to have been the decisive sign for the management to release the coach." Foda "took over the club after its relegation from the Bundesliga last July." Reserve team coach KONRAD FÜNFSTÜCK and fitness coach OLIVER SCHÄFER "will reportedly take over the team for Monday's home game against Energie Cottbus" (FOCUS ONLINE, 8/29). ... Abu Dhabi Sports Council Chair SHEIKH NAHYAN BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN on Thursday "issued four resolutions reshuffling the boards of directors of the Al Dhafra Sports & Cultural Club, and its three subsidiary companies: Al Dhafra Football Company and the Al Dhafra Sports Games Company and the Al Dhafra Club Investment Company." MUSALLAM MOHAMMED AL AMERI was appointed chairman of the board of directors of the Al Dhafra Sports & Cultural Club, and HAMOUD HUMAID AL MANSOURI as deputy chairman. KHALIFA MATTAR AL TUNAIJI, the representative of the club’s football company, RASHID SUWAID AL MANSOURI, the representative of the club’s sports company and OBAID KHALIFA AL MAZROUI were appointed as board members. Al Tunaiji was also "appointed as chairman of the board of the Al Dhafra Football Company." Al Dhafra Sports Games Company appointed Al Mansouri as board chairman and Al Dhafra Club Investment Company appointed Al Mazroui as chairman (GULF NEWS, 8/29). ... V. SUNDRAMOORTHY, 47, "who recently led the LionsXII to the Malaysian Super League title," has agreed to a two-year, "double-your-money" deal to coach MSL Negeri Sembilan FA next season (STRAITS TIMES, 8/29).

RAFAEL NADAL will play an exhibition match on Nov. 17 in Lima, Perú againstfellow Spaniard DAVID FERRER in a rematch of this year's French Open final. Nadal will also play an exhibition against DAVID NALBANDIAN in Buenos Aires on Nov. 23 (EL PAIS, 8/28). ... Oracle Team USA CEO RUSSELL COUTTS and No. 1 skipper JIMMY SPITHILL "are among those called to give evidence" at an America's Cup int'l jury hearing on Saturday involving allegations of cheating. The hearing "has now been re-scheduled from Friday," a change flagged by the jury "who also published a list of those called to give evidence." They included Coutts, Spithill, OTUSA GM GRANT SIMMER, Shore Crew Manager MARK 'TUGBOAT' TURNER, Rules Advisor RICHARD SLATER and rig team manager ANDREW HENDERSON. It "must be pointed out that being called to give evidence is no evidence that those named are being accused of cheating" (NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 8/29). ... CRISTIANO RONALDO snubbed Thursday's UEFA '12-13 Best Player in Europe award ceremony and played in Real Madrid’s "low-profile" Trofeo Teresa Herrera friendly at Deportivo La Coruña instead. Ronaldo was "shortlisted for the award," along with Bayern Munich’s FRANCK RIBERY, who won the award,and Barcelona’s LIONEL MESSI (ESPN, 8/29). ... Britain's three leading MotoGP riders ''have been signed up as BT Ambassadors on the eve of the premier event in the racing calendar," the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. CAL CRUTCHLOW, BRADLEY SMITH and SCOTT REDDING will feature in BT Sport programs and marketing (BT). ... The Qatar FA has announced its nominations for presidency and exec committee membership. Sheikh HAMAD BIN KHALIFA AL-THANI "has been nominated to run for presidency." The candidates for Executive Committee membership are IBRAHIM KHALIL AL-MOHANNADI (Lekhwiya), AHMED ABDUL AZIZ AL-BUAINAIN (Qatar Sports Club), HASAN ABDULLAH AL-THAWADI (Umm Slal), SAOUD ADBUL AZIZ AL-MOHANNADI (Qatar Sports Club), FAHAD MOHAMMED AL-KUWARI (Al Sadd)and HANI TALIB BALAN (Qatar Stars League) (GULF TIMES, 8/28). ... DANNY JORDAAN "will announce his intention" to run for South African FA [Safa] presidency "after 32 of the mother body's 52 regions nominated him as their candidate." The 32 regions also proposed Chief MWELO NONKONYANA, ELVIS SHISANA and LUCAS NHLAPO "to serve as Jordaan's vice presidents" (SOWETAN LIVE, 8/29). ... Cricket South Africa said that former CSA CEO GERALD MAJOLA "has failed in an appeal against his firing for paying himself and others unauthorized bonuses" (AP, 8/29). ... Double Olympic Gold Medalist LAURA TROTT and Paralympic champion MARK COLBOURNE "returned to the scene of their greatest triumph" on Wednesday as they were confirmed as ambassadors for the London 2012 legacy venue, the Lee Valley VeloPark (CYCLING WEEKLY, 8/28). ... Wales rugby int'l and broadcaster CLIFF MORGAN, "celebrated for his commentary on a 1973 try hailed as the greatest of all time," has died at age 83 after a long illness. A former Wales fly-half with 29 caps for his country, "Morgan became a respected commentator, writer and head of BBC outside broadcasts" (London GUARDIAN, 8/29).